The city of Newark, Delaware, has removed a Noah's Ark display from a children's playground after receiving a complaint from a secular group threatening a lawsuit.

Officials said that although the equipment has been at the park for a long time, they decided to remove it because it includes verses from the book of Genesis in the Bible, which Americans United for Separation of Church and State claimed is a violation of the establishment clause in the U.S. Constitution.

"Earlier this month, the city of Newark received a complaint regarding the playground equipment, which had been installed for some time, alleging that it was in violation of the establishment clause, citing numerous examples of case law," a city spokesman told The Christian Post on Friday about the approved playground equipment at Norma B. Handloff Park. more >>

A church youth director has been banned from being a lunch-time volunteer at an Oregon middle school after an atheist student claimed that he tried to promote Christianity while sitting in with a group of students during lunch.

Laura Perez, the principal of Straub Middle School in Salem, Oregon, informed Tim Saffeels, a youth director at the nearby Salem Heights Church, last week that he would not be allowed back as a lunch-time volunteer for the remainder of the school year. Saffeel's banning comes after a student sent an email to Perez stating that Saffeels had preached to her and friends during lunch on Oct. 23 about Christianity, and encouraged her to come to a church function.

The email that was sent to Perez was from an eighth grader named Shelby Conway. Her email said that Saffeels came up to her table during lunch and sat down and began preaching, although she and a number of the other students at the table were non-christians. Her email added that Saffeels insulted her when she told him that she was an atheist. more >>

The family of Ethan Hallmark of Midlothian, Texas, whose four-year battle with terminal cancer before succumbing to his illness late last month at age 13, was made public through video, and has released a clearly different message than the one Brittany Maynard is giving in video in which she shares her desire to end her life on her own terms, drawing national attention.

"Thirteen years old and my son was not like mainstream America. He knew suffering was as much of a part of life as happiness was," wrote Ethan's mother, Rachel Hallmark in her most recent blog post that addresses dying with dignity in response to the discussion happening over the last few weeks surrounding Maynard's decision.

"Suffering exists all over this world in far greater forms than cancer. Taking a pill to give yourself an early demise isn't the solution whether you are facing cancer, poverty, warfare, abuse, or any of the endless other forms of suffering. With fearless bravery, he [Ethan] accepted that life wasn't always easy, that sometimes we have to face giants we'd prefer not to." more >>

It's that time of year again when not only are nights getting colder and darker, but so too the atmosphere in many churches and Christian homes. The debate begins at the first sign of the autumn leaves and abruptly comes to a halt on November 1st – after all, Halloween comes to its demise for another year.

By now, you've heard the many origins of this ambiguous holiday from The Catholic Church's claim of it being derived from All Hollow's Eve (the day to commemorate those martyred for their faith), to the many Evangelicals and some pagans who believe it a version of Samhain that was created to allow pagans to continue practicing paganism under the guise of a Christian cover. Most Neo-pagans celebrate Samhain, which falls near the date of Halloween and is considered an in-between time when the veil between worlds is thinnest and the Celtic New Year is celebrated.

Research reveals a lot of speculation when it comes to the actual practices of Halloween. Some say it's rooted in the immigration of the Irish who brought much of their folklore back to the states such as Jack-o-Lanterns, which may have originated in the form of a turnip. They believed by carving frightening faces on them, it would ward off the evil spirits that passed between worlds on Samhain night. more >>

A student petition to stop atheist HBO talk show host Bill Maher from speaking at the University of California at Berkeley's fall commencement ceremony has reached over 3,000 signatures. The petition has called Maher a "blatant bigot" and "racist" over his strong opinions about Islam.

"Bill Maher is a blatant bigot and racist who has no respect for the values UC Berkeley students and administration stand for. In a time where climate is a priority for all on campus, we cannot invite an individual who himself perpetuates a dangerous learning environment. Bill Maher's public statements on various religions and cultures are offensive and his dangerous rhetoric has found its way into our campus communities," reads the Change.org petition, started by Khwaja Ahmed, a member of the Middle Eastern, Muslim and South Asian Coalition.

"Too many students are marginalized by his remarks and if the university were to bring this individual as a commencement speaker they would not be supporting these historically marginalized communities. It is the responsibility of the University of California to protect all students and uphold a standard of civility." more >>